Sustainability in crisis mode: How Austria's economy needs to rethink!

Sustainability in crisis mode: How Austria's economy needs to rethink!

The second edition of the Austrian Sustainability Summit took place on March 20th and 21st, 2025 at the Imperial Riding School Vienna. Organized by Business Circle, the event brought together around 400 participants from different industries. The aim was to discuss current developments and challenges in the area of ​​sustainability.

Austria is facing its longest economic downturn since World War II, reflected in falling investment and rising prices. However, the decline in emissions is not seen as a success of climate policy, but rather as a result of economic contraction Leadersnet reported.

Specialist lectures and discussion rounds

During the conference, Gabriel Felbermayer from WIFO presented an in-depth analysis of the economic situation. Moritz Mirascija from Business Circle emphasized the importance of the conference as a platform for exchange between stakeholders from industry, science and politics. In a panel discussion moderated by Gabriela-Maria Straka from RespAct, the relevance of sustainability metrics in reporting was discussed.

The contributions by Eva-Maria Ségur-Cabanac (Baker McKenzie) and Christine Catasta (ÖBAG), who reported on strategic opportunities in the context of ESG, received particular attention. Christian Gansch also equated companies with an orchestra and emphasized the need for persistence in sustainability.

The challenges posed by climate change were also a central topic: winemaker Willi Bründlmayer made it clear how important proactive action is for agriculture. Jürgen Bauer from Gebrüder Weiss and Mark van Loon from Wienerberger spoke about the necessary balance between sustainability and delivery reliability as well as the importance of innovative materials.

Innovations and future events

The “Changemaker Pitch Forum” presented innovative business models such as Treely, osapiens and EcoNetix. In another panel discussion, together with Daniel-Sebastian Mühlbach from the Austrian Post, it was discussed that climate protection goes far beyond the reduction of CO₂ emissions.

The next Austrian Sustainability Summit is already planned for March 26 and 27, 2026, with the aim of discussing questions surrounding the green transformation in the economy. The focus here is on the question of what measures companies, politics and science must take in order to implement a credible transformation Business Circle.

Drivers of transformation: ESG Trends 2025

The topics discussed are in the context of current trends, which are characterized by new technologies and stricter regulations. Higher CO₂ prices and various regulatory requirements are challenging companies to invest in energy-efficient technologies to not only reduce costs but also reduce their emissions. From 2025, the circle of companies affected by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will also be expanded, which will necessitate a more intensive examination of sustainability and reporting, such as LBBW highlights.

The challenges of transformation require companies to position themselves clearly and invest extensively in a sustainable future. The focus is on topics such as technology, management and sustainable organizational structures. The creation of internal and external awareness will play a fundamental role in order to meet the requirements of the EU taxonomy and reporting requirements.